Duende explained:
These are the most common form of fairy found in folklore around the world which are still popular today. With little to tell them apart from humans, they usually just look like short old men. Duende women unfortunately look no different and it can be difficult tell which sex they are even when you know what to look for. Always sporting a white beard and known for being rather helpful and happy little chaps they can be a gift or a curse. Addicted to work they often like to help humans in their daily chores if the task is too difficult for them or if bribed with an item they want. However this is their major downfall as Duende being born old are unhealthily fascinated with human or humanoid children. They will often break into a family's house and trim a child's toe nails or cut their hair just to have part of a child. They can however be bribed by leaving a tooth of the child by the sleeping child's bedside to prevent the child being stolen by the Duende. Duende however are not evil and often disguise their own children so humans will raise them well or stealing children from broken homes for the benefit of the child. Sometimes however Duende can be in such a hurry to collect a sample of hair or a toe nail that they accidentally cut the child with their scissors. Sometimes they are so distraught about being the cause of a child's suffering they will kill themselves to make up for it. Often handsomely paid for their fine work at helping others they have money to burn and often hand out cash to needy families as they have little need for it themselves. In some cases where the money is likely to be stolen from them they leave lumps of coal for the poor family's fire or woven blankets as they have little value to other people. Living a very humble lifestyle they often live off the forest in dwellings built into tree roots, in burrows dug into the ground or in tree top villages. Though they are hard workers in any respect they are in particular fine craftsmen especially with the use of wood. Duende crafted items are known for their longevity and sturdiness and are prized commodities in the human world. Often known by their nickname The Little People they are the most universally liked of all the fairies and in fact fairies get their name from one particular sect of these people. If people are desperate or lazy and want something done, they often just need to leave some food around and an obvious job to do next to it and these fellows will get the job done and polish off the food without any mess without even needing to be asked to do the job. Sometimes in desperation people have promised a Duende their children for their help but this is foolish as the Duende always make good on their agreements. Having a vast array of magic spells, in particular transformation spells, they can often grant gifts to those who help them and expect nothing in return. However should you try to trick a Duende, you're bound to have bad luck or a curse over your head. It's especially stupid as Duende love to help people with no strings attached so you're really just shooting yourself in the foot for no real reason. Duende often carry magical scissors that enable them to travel between the human world and the fairy world. Duende often tame small animals which are unusually large for their normal size such as rodents and insects which they ride or have them pull miniature sleighs. They are also partial to beer and dairy products and putting eggshells in water drives them mad.
Rumpelstiltskin is probably the most famous Duende of all time, however the Dwarves of the Snow White fairy tale and the Elves of The Elves And The Shoemaker are also depictions of Duende. Santa Claus, his Elves and the Tooth Fairy are also depictions of Duende and the Boogieman and the Sandman legends are heavily influenced by Duende stories. Radagast of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series is also a Duende as well as the Hobbits themselves. Leprechauns are too.
